A couple of engineers from Google reported that some news sites are being targeted by hackers. CNET reported that 21 out of 25 of the world’s top news organizations have come under attack. They then shared that the hacks are probably being executed by government-sponsored hackers. IPVanish is a top VPN provider that can help journalists keep their identities and information safe.
Government Hackers Attack Journalists
At the conference of Black Hat hackers in Singapore last week, government hacking became a key topic. Two engineers from Google who were in attendance gave information about news sites that were being attacked. CNET representatives then joined in with their own data. They said that of the top 25 news organizations in the world, 21 had suffered from hacker attacks. They also said that they have reason to believe that the hacks are being executed with government sponsorship.
One major question was why governments around the world would be attacking news sites. CNET said that in all likelihood, these governments commissioned the hacks to get at information that the news sites had. Government-sponsored hacks have become popular over the past few years. In the past, countries like Russia, the US and China have targeted military facilities and major companies. Targeting journalists is a new focus for these types of hacks.
Journalists from top news organizations are a logical choice for hackers. They have a lot of information on government figures, high profile companies, and the like. They are the ones most likely to obtain information that no one else has. A good example of this is the information that former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked to the press. Journalists need to be much more careful now to protect their sources and the information that has been entrusted to them. A VPN is one of the best ways that they can secure their privacy to avoid being targeted. News sites also need to use them to securely communicate.
